Still Winter Here

I might just finish my Einstein Coat while it's still cold enough to wear it. I'm seaming it now, but it looks like a big cream blob so I'm not going to post a photo.

I did finish my little folk embroideries. They are very cute, but I'm not sure what to do with them. Ideas? (They are 8 x 8).

And while the calendar says it's March 10, my yard is blanketed with snow. My brother is visiting from Virginia and, to my surprise, he walked with me this morning when the temperature was 5 degrees (with wind chill).

I did get a little trip to the tropics Sunday evening. I have a friend who is an exceptionally avid gardener. She grows dozens of elephant ears outdoors in the warm weather. In the winter, she and her husband dig them up and bring them inside, where they place the plants in pots and horse troughs. No, I am not making this up.

As you can see, it's pretty amazing.

Home Again

 My trip to California was great. How can it not be? We drove up to Mendocino, which is just gorgeous. I could listen to the surf hit the rocks all day. (Thinking of you, Kim!)

We stayed in a very vintage cottage. It was adorable, but we were afraid to use the stove, which had no pilot light. We just used the microwave and ate out.

The best part was hanging out with Joni.

We both enjoyed working on the embroidery kits I made up for us.

We were not amused by the antisemitic pamphlets that were placed at homes in Berkeley and six other cities. Scary stuff. 

Sadly, bad news dominates, doesn't it? You may remember that I went to Ukraine a few years ago when my daughter was a bridesmaid at a wedding outside Lviv. My heart bleeds for the country and the wonderful Ukranians I know.

aa

aa

Hitting the Skies

I was supposed to fly to San Francisco today to visit my best friend from childhood. A couple days ago, I got a text from United advising me that Chicago was supposed to have a major snow storm today and urging me to change my ticket to Friday. I did so. It turns out that Chicago is having a little snow today. Grrr!

Still, I am going to California so I can't complain too much.

Of course, the important question is: What crafts to bring? I'm definitely bringing this one:

It's a design from a book on Kantha stitching. I've wanted to improve my free-style stitching, so I'm looking forward to working on it. 

I started a sock this morning because you can't travel without a sock project.

And, of course, I have my sketchbook. Which reminds me: here is the sketch from my January trip to Chicago. The temps were around 0, so I drew this from photos I took.

And here's a photo:

Now I just have to hope that no passenger attacks a flight attendant over mask regulations!

 

Let's Hope for a Better Year

 I usually consider my year to be the Jewish year, but this year I'm going with 2022. The first few months of the Jewish year weren't so great: broken hip for Keith; back injury and kidney stone for me; the death of one of my son's best friends from way back; and a colonoscopy for my 85-year-old mother When does my real retirement begin?

Wisconsin is once again one of the worst states for Covid. Just like we were a year ago. This meant no New Years celebrations for us. Keith went to his parents for X-mas, but I stayed home. I went to the funeral for Seth's friend and it was packed. Even though all those Death Metal kids were wearing masks, I was worried about exposing my in-laws. (Yes, Seth was in a Death Metal band, An End to Flesh. I'm glad he didn't stay with that as a career).

But some things are good, like our loving kittens.

And embroidering my newest design:

And, of course, Keith, Seth, and Rachel. 

There is knitting, but that is for another time.

Tiny Needle Tuesday

The main project I worked on in Colorado was this folk art embroidery based on a drawing I made.

I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I used mostly DMC size 5 perl cotton, but I added some details with size 8.

Now I just have to decide if I'm going to finish it by stapling it around an 8x8 frame or making the center panel in an art quilt. So many decisions!

And Now for Something Complete Different

 I have been knitting -- especially because I've been binging on WandaVision on Disney -- but that isn't all. I've been embroidering this:

This embroidery is based on the book pictured below.  It was published in 1918, so it is no longer under copyright. As a child, I read constantly. When I saw this book at a flea market, I just had to buy it, knowing someday it would be an embroidery. Besides, I suffer from a nostalgia for all things 20th century -- before 1980, that is.

There were 27 Grace Harlowe books, which follow her from high school, through service in France in WWI, and onto other adventures. I'm trying to read this book, but it is pretty dull from today's point of view.

I've encountered quite a learning curve as I've converted this into an embroidery. Going from black/white to full color has been harder than I expected.  And there are no words to describe the tedium of embroidering the book's title with tiny stitches. And I am terrified I'll ruin the entire thing when I stitch the face.

I chose the passage of text as being representative of the tone of the book. Those small words aren't too difficult to stitch.

This will take me a while to finish -- good thing I'm retiring! -- but I already have the next book cover picked out!

P.S. The police arrested the person who threatened gun violence against my school. The press is describing the person as a "child," and that's all we know.

In Between

 These days I am mostly decluttering and starting to pack. We close on our new house tomorrow, and then we have to move and get this one ready to put on the market. Work is hectic with both teaching virtually and planning to go back in a hybrid situation.

But in between, I find little times to do some crafty things. Thanks to Kim, I went a little crazy on the Hook, Line & Tinker hygge embroidery designs. It's been a fun and relaxing project that I'm going to hand-quilt.

I found a few hours to do some online sketching with a friend -- via Zoom, of course. This is the house where Marc Chagall grew up in Vitebsk, Belarus.

Then there's other people's crafts that I've come across as I declutter. The Barbie on the left is dressed in a darling suit that my babysitter knit in the late 1960s; the doll on the right is wearing a coat knit by my MIL. They are both better knitters than I'll ever be!

And I got some very good news this morning. Yesterday I had an endoscopy to see if I have Celiac Disease -- and I don't! I am so excited that I'm going to find time to bake Hamantaschen, even though the holiday for this Jewish treat has passed. It's a cookie dough folded around a filling -- with lots of gluten!

Trying to Stay Positive

The day I've been dreading has arrived: My district has announced it plans to reopen in March -- without vaccinating teachers or other staff. The announcement is very vague, leaving us with more questions than answers. The only good thing is that I teach high school, so there is a chance that I will get vaccinated before I have to return. Fingers crossed!

But there are some things to be happy about. A couple weeks ago a friend dropped off some paper white bulbs and now I have flowers:

I spread them over two vases and dropped off one for my mom at her retirement community.

And, speaking of flowers, I'm finishing up a flowery project I started four or five years ago: embroidered flower bunting. I drew the flowers, so it's fun to see it come to life.

And here's another:

I'll take a photo when it's done and hung across our mantel. But it won't hang there for long...

Madison's disregard for its teachers is the final straw for me. I filed for retirement! As you know, we started looking for a smaller house a couple months ago. It's been crazy. All we wanted was a ranch with an attached garage on the near West Side. Apparently that's what everyone wants. The competition was fierce and houses are selling at $50,000 or more above assessment.

Well, we lucked out. We found the perfect house. It's a little farther from the city center than I'd like, but I think it would cost too much to live closer. Our current house is very close to downtown and the university, so it should sell fast. The one we bought was on the market for 3 days!

We close Feb. 24 and hope to get our current house on the market by April 1. With me working, we'll need a good month to get it ready.

You Win Some, You Muck Up Others

 As if it isn't bad enough that I'm the last person to bake bread during the pandemic, my bread did not turn out at all. The dough for two loaves of cinnamon-raisin bread looked OK at the beginning:

But it never rose properly. I puzzled and puzzled over it. I've baked plenty of bread in my time. Then Keith asked about the yeast. I only bought it a few weeks ago, but I checked anyway. Yep, it expired four years ago! Given the run on yeast in the past year, I have no idea how any out-dated yeast was left.

Fortunately, not everything here is failing. Thanks to Kim, I have an adorable embroidered sheep. I'm going to make the Hygge Reindeer, which Kim also made, and then combine them in a little quilt.

Kim really has a knack for finding the best embroidery patterns.

And I'm quite happy with the quilt I'm making with my flower embroidery:

The border strips are fabric that I sun-dyed last summer. Wow, does that seem like a long time ago or what? Not that I mind winter. I took a long walk this afternoon, and it really cheered me up. 

I have a rough work week coming up so I needed the boost. So far, my district is mostly virtual, but I'm always worrying about being asked to go back before vaccination! Chicago's teachers have voted not to teach in person, which I think is wise. My science-smart friends say the Midwest will have another spike as universities open up.

So, wherever you are, stay safe, my friends. We are not out of the woods yet.

Making Keeps Me Sane

 This is a hard time for everyone. The pandemic and politics are impossible to escape. And we all have our personal struggles with these issues.

But I am grateful to be a maker. I've had quite a few Zooms on this long weekend, and the Habitation Throw is perfect mindless knitting. I'm not sure I like the way it's coming out, but I can always use another lap blanket.

And I finished this embroidery of my own design. It gave me chance to work on my satin stitch and try combining stitches. It was way more work than I expected, which is often the case for me.

I'm going to make it into a little wall quilt. I think the colors will work with all the fabric I sun-dyed last summer.

And I took a little trip to Prague -- virtually, of course. This is the Old-New Synagogue, where Franz Kafka was dragged to High Holy Days services by his father. I was there with my daughter in 2018. Jews have been praying there for 700 years and that imbues it with a quiet sense of holiness.

Being a maker is especially useful, I think, during the pandemic and winter. I do miss seeing people, meeting at coffee shops, gathering for potlucks. But making things is a pretty good way to get through this strange world we now inhabit.

I hope you are finding ways to bring some joy into your life, too!

Trying to Finish a Few Things

 It's a good day. To begin with, it's Saturday so the entire weekend lies ahead of me. Second, yesterday our superintendent announced that my district will start third quarter virtually. I hope that means he won't reopen until teachers are vaccinated. Third, we've been having freezing fog, with leaves the trees with a gorgeous icy coating.

I have far too many UFOs lying around the house, so I've chosen two to focus on. The first is the gorgeous shawl kit that I got from Bridget during her Christmas in July giveaway. I'm playing around with it to make it longer, but it could not be more beautiful. Thank you, Bridget!

The second one is a an embroidery pattern that I designed to get some practice with filling stitches. This one is going to take a while. For some reason, it is very hard on my fingers, even using a thread puller. I used a stabilizer under the muslin, so I'm wondering if that is the problem.

Still, if I do a little bit every day, it will eventually be an FO. Then I'll make it into a small quilt.

Of course, I can't shake off my shock at this past week's sedition at the U.S. Capital. Three Wisconsin legislators voted against counting all the votes even after the Capital was breached. Shameful. I so embarrassed by them. At least Twitter pulled the plug on our cowardly leader.

Enjoy your weekend!

Tiny Needle Tuesday

 Just a quickie. I'm working on another coffee cup mini-quilt:

Keith doesn't like the gray background (the last quilt had a very colorful background) but I think this could work.

Tiny Needle Tuesday

 Yes, it's been a bit more than a week. But I have two excuses. First and foremost, this newly minted professor visited for a week:

That's my daughter sipping a Prosecco Mojito in my backyard. We had a great time together, even though there wasn't a lot to do.  Her research area is race and policing, and I'm a special education teacher, so we have a lot to talk about!

Also, last Monday, I started working full-time. We have two weeks of professional development, and I have been busy! There's paperwork, meeting new kids, learning new technology, anti-racism trainings. It's a lot. My head is about to explode!

But there has been some needlework. I finally finished my Cozy Blue project, and it is adorable. I'm going to make it into a mini-quilt. Kym might notice that I've changed up the colors, as I bought the pattern but not a kit. Honestly, Cozy Blue's color choices were better than mine!

Now I've begun another cross stitch, this one from Satsuma Street. I love their designs.

I'm not going to tell you the name of the pattern -- but you can figure it out if you go to their Etsy store.

Speaking of Etsy, I saw an Etsy commercial on TV last week. It makes Etsy look like a Target. There was no mention of handmade or one-of-a-kind items. I was so disappointed. We have enough large retailers!

Suviving the Pandemic

 I am foggy after another bad night.  I wake up four or five times a night in the middle of terrible anxiety attacks. The bad news is they have been so intense that I can't even get out of bed to take medication. The good news is that I can't get out of bed and eat.

Usually, my panic attacks are very specific, focusing on specific worries. These have been completely general, so  I'm not sure what actions I can take to calm myself. Very frustrating!

I'm assuming they are in some way a response to the pandemic and to work. I have to work at least one more year, so there's not much I can about that. It never occurred to me that any parent would think I should die so that their child could go to school. The threat of opening schools is the only thing I am conscious of worrying about -- that and my son working in a veterinary hospital with hundreds of employees. 

I think I am doing what I can to make my life pleasant -- I'm almost done with my Pandemic Quilt. I'll take a full photo when it's hanging on the wall:

I've been biking and walking nearly every day. Today I saw these hibiscus flowers on my walk. I just love that there's a variety of hibiscus that can grow in Wisconsin!

I am thoroughly enjoying my Sue Spargo-type project, which I am calling "Happy Fish." I'm learning lots of new embroidery stitches. Wool is so nice to work with because it has structure and it's easy to get a needle through.

And my dear Kola makes me happy. The other day she thought she was recycling:

I Zoom with friends, hang out with my husband, talk on the phone, read. I'm not quite sure why I'm having such bad nights!

Tiny Needle Tuesday

I've made quite a bit of progress on my embroidery but...

... the remaining lines disappeared! I'm not sure if they were supposed to disappear or if I didn't iron them on correctly. I'll have draw them in and hope for the best!

I had a full day of work today. For special ed in my district, summer is over. We have to do a mountain of paperwork to comply with federal law. I just want to say: Betsy DeVos could have relaxed the paperwork requirements. Instead, she added to them.

The next thing I need to do is set up a functional workspace. First, I have to get rid of this crap:

That is my son's equipment from his days as the lead guitarist for a death metal group called An End to Flesh. He found the name in the Torah. Not quite what I was hoping for when I sent him to Hebrew School. They were moderately successful; even toured both coasts. Still, I think that veterinary medicine is a better career.

Tiny Needle Tuesday

Darn that Kim! I really try to work on original designs, but she got me into Cozy Blue. From the first moment I saw one on her blog, I knew it would just be a matter of time before I gave in and embroidered one.

Full Heart turned out to be the design that I could not resist.

It's been fun -- but also helped me work on one stitch I need to practice (satin) and learn how to do leaves with fly stitch.

So, I guess I owe Kim a big thank you!

So Much News!

For the first time ever, I lost a pair of glasses. Also for the first time ever, I bought a pair of glasses without checking the price first. I am absolutely in love with my new glasses:

Luckily for me, the clerk is very chatty. When he found out I was a teacher, he gave me $200 off. And they were still pricey -- but worth it. Still, I really can't afford to lose this pair!

I have long admired (drooled over) the work of felt applique embroiderer Sue Spargo. I finally bought her class on Craftsy/Bluprint and started my own felt project. She provides a butterfly project, but I had to do my own thing, so I'm doing fish:

It has been hot as Hades here (and everywhere!), so I've taken advantage of the weather to do some fabric dying with  Dynaflow paints and salt. The results are always a surprise.

Yesterday I indulged in a fancy cold coffee at a cafe with outdoor tables. It was too hot to boil water and I'd forgotten to make iced coffee the night before. Also, I was celebrating: My district announced that first quarter will be virtual.

Like everyone, I have mixed feelings. Virtual teaching isn't ideal for students, nor is it fun for teachers. But I am almost 61 and I have an arrhythmia. I am terrified of going into a large high school with all those wonderful -- but less than adult -- disease vectors running around! And it turns out that teens are indeed vectors!

And the best news of all, thanks to Kat, Brenda Dayne is coming back. Pick up your pointy sticks!

It's All About The Flowers

I've been pretty good about walking or biking five days a week -- one of my summer goals. Summer may have come late this year, but I find myself in a sea of flowers when I walk around my neighborhood. 

 Saturday evening my mom and I went to a birthday party at a friend's house. The hostess, my friend Debbie, is a gardener extrordinaire.

Thanks to the Internet, I stumbled on a way to do sun-dying with Dynaflow dyes by Jacquard. It's incredibly easy. You just slap down the dye, lay a stencil over the painted cloth, and let it dry in the sun. The results are amazing. I think this works on paper, too.

I finally broke down and bought this book. I've waited and waited for the public library to acquire it, but it doesn't look like they are going to.

I've been eyeing this spread at my local bookstore, and dreaming of embroidering these flowers onto clothing.

So, finally I've taken the plunge.

I traced the designs onto Sulky Super Solvy, which works like a sticker. You embroider over the lines, then soak off the Super Solvy. One caveat: I have found that if you leave the Solvy on for weeks and weeks, it is hard to get off. So, I'll get this done pretty quickly.